Anthony’s Restaurant is back in business in Falls Church, after opening its doors at its brand-new location, just outside City limits, Monday morning on Annandale Road. The beloved 41-year-old City institution closed last year on West Broad Street to make way for new mixed-used development.

Despite the low-key opening yesterday, Antony’s General Manager Pete Zoutis told the News-Press the first day was very busy. “All of our regulars started calling each other and telling everyone we were open,” said Zoutis. “It’s been crazy.”

Zoutis said they’re still getting things in order at the new restaurant and plans for a grand opening party to take place later this month.

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In other news, the opponents of Harris Teeter who claimed the project was responsible for “shutting down” a mom and pop business with world class food (ha) sheepishly look down at their feet

Lou Mauro

Anthony’s WAS shut down in the City of Falls Church. Just like other low and middle income establishments like the duckpin bowling alley, Red Lobster, and the soon-to-be kicked-out Burger Kind. But I’m sure that doesn’t matter to anonymous (cowardly) elitists like yourself.

David

The lease expired. That’s not being shut down. There are these things called market forces…

If putting your last name in your comment profile makes you courageous, I should introduce you to some people serving our country in the military.

Lou Mauro

When “market forces intervene” that is a shut down. Your anonymous mention of “mediocre” restaurant, eminent domain and the military not only demonstrates again your cowardly elitism but also your ignorance. Developers are more useful for municipalities and easier to work with than eminent domain.

gordontheisz

The property owner that held Anthony’s lease sold it to the developer who then submitted redevelopment plans. Those would be market forces. There was no way to save Anthony’s at the old location. The City EDO worked very hard to find a new location IN the City but Anthony’s was not able to find space that they found suitable. The developer may have succeeded in getting approval for a large project that some object to, but had they not, the property would have been redeveloped in a different way. It was inevitable.

David

No, that is not a shut down. When a store ceases operations because it runs out of money, do we say that it has been “shut down”? No, we say it went out of business. When a commercial lease expires and the landlord opts to sell the land to someone else, do we call it a shut down? Being “shut down” implies someone came in and forcibly closed the place. That didn’t happen. Anthony’s lease was always set to expire on the date in question. The landlord could have renewed it with Anthony’s. Instead, the landlord opted to sell it to someone offering more money. Welcome to the free market. In a matter of months, Anthony’s has reopened just a few miles away (while its second restaurant continued to operate in NoVa). The sob story of a family owned joint being crushed by a multinational simply didn’t play out here. God forbid a single restaurant with a 3.0/5.0 Yelp rating attached to a vacant post office and overgrown lot had to relocate!

You can argue against mixed use development projects on these pages until you are blue in the face. They will continue to be approved by the council members, most of whom were elected on platforms supporting a broader tax base. I respect your opinion (despite your anger and ad hominem attacks), but you are apparently on the wrong side of both the market and the voters.

Courageous

Whether you consider Anthony’s to have been “shut down” or not is beside the point. Falls Church is changing. It is growing both in population density and income, like any successful population center. The result of such changes is that prices rise over time. It’s basic supply and demand — the same amount of space serves more people. Falls Church had outgrown Anthony’s prior location. Maybe that’s called a “shut down” and maybe not. But is it necessarily a bad thing?

I loved Anthony’s restaurant and was very sad to see it go. And I am thrilled to have it back. But if we never “shut down” restaurants like Anthony’s, Falls Church would continue to look like this:

Progress has to happen. Change has to happen. Why else do we toil at life but to try to make it better?

Taxpayer

From what I can see in the picture, the new space looks terrific!

David

Yes! And the annual income of the residents on that street is $150/year.

Taxpayer

I suspect that Anthony’s is going to well there. Much like the Original Pancake House has done well in its new location.

Lou Mauro

Well, that experiment failed. Poke around just a little and all you get, except for Gordon, are the usual nameless know-it-alls who don’t have the honesty and integrity to stand behind what they say. My kingdom for an online publication that will require commenters to use verifiable full names! Bye guys. Enjoy your anonymous circle jerks.

Taxpayer

Lou Mauro, oh brave man who puts your name on every single blog post, you do realize that every time you rail against someone who doesn’t post their name, it makes them more likely to continue NOT posting their name, right? Sorry that my comment about hoping Anthony’s does well was so antagonistic.

David

Lou, say hi to Paula Creamer for me. Again and again and again.

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